16 July 2013

Bee Movie

We talk a lot around the Gazette about finding the courage
to step on to the stage and take part in the various shows that include
audience participation. American Idol Experience, Flights of Wonder, and the
many streetmosphere performances that happen throughout World Showcase are
great examples, but do you remember a time when you could, as a child, take
part in the refilming of a classic scene from Honey, I Shrunk the Kids?

In the early days of Disney-MGM Studios guests could not
only take part in the tram tour that featured the boneyard of vehicles and the
Catastrophe Canyon special effects tank portion of the Backstage Studio Tour,
but they could also walk through the various soundstages that housed some live
television production and segments that looked at how some movie magic is
created. While most of this can be seen on any movie bonus feature these days,
actually living these experiences is something all-together different.

Along this walking section of the tour younger guests could
get harnessed onto the 8 foot tall bumblebee from Honey, I Shrunk the Kids and
recreate the scene where the Thompson and Szalinski kids buzz around the
backyard on the wings of the bee. Once the juking and shaking of the blue
screen bumblebee finished, after a short wait, the backyard background was dropped
onto the scene and the final product was shown to the tour group.

Did you, or your children, ever take that giant leap into
great big world that was the Szalinskis’ backyard?